North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What additional benefits have accrued to cross-border co-operation as a result of the setting up of the cross-border bodies outlined in the Belfast agreement.

Baroness Amos: The benefits accrued from the activities of the North/South Implementation Bodies are detailed in the annual reports of the North/South Ministerial Council and published annual reports in respect of each North/South Implementation Body. Copies of these documents are available in the Library.

Northern Ireland Events Company

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many events in each of the last two years the Northern Ireland Events Company has supported; how many of these events were attended by the appropriate Minister; and how many were attended officially by staff of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

Baroness Amos: The Northern Ireland Events Company supported 34 events in 2002–03 and 66 events in 2003–04. Six of these events were attended by the Minister responsible for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and two were attended by departmental officials.

Northern Ireland Departments: Underspend

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 1 December (WA 5) concerning Northern Ireland departmental budgets, how much of the underspend in each department has been carried over to the year 2004–05.

Baroness Amos: In accordance with the approved end-year flexibility mechanism, the full amount of underspend in each Northern Ireland department in 2003–04 has been carried forward, thus ensuring no loss of resources to Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland: Department of Education

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 1 December (WA 5) concerning Northern Ireland departmental budgets, why the Department of Education underspent by £51.9 million in 2003–04; and
	In view of the underspend of £51.9 million by the Northern Ireland Department of Education in 2003–04, what support the department is providing to education boards in financial difficulties.

Baroness Amos: The provisional 2003–04 underspend comprises £26.1 million capital funding, which relates to the school building and capital works programme and could not be vired into resource budget, even if it were not already fully committed. The balance is £25.8 million resource funding and relates primarily to surpluses that schools have carried over in their budgets to the following year under LMS. These funds remain fully committed to projects in education and are not available for other purposes. There is therefore no question of these funds being held back from education and library boards.
	My department is meeting regularly with those boards in financial difficulties to provide them with advice and support in addressing their financial problems.

Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman: Case of Constable Trevor Purcell

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What were the total costs involved in the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman's prosecution of Constable Trevor Purcell for alleged dangerous driving during a riot, including those incurred by the Ombudsman's Office, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Office of the Northern Ireland Director of Public Prosecutions and the court's costs; and what was the outcome of this case.

Baroness Amos: The relevant offices have advised the following information in relation to this case.
	The Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Court Service of Northern Ireland advise that they do not operate a case costing system. The Police Service of Northern Ireland advises that it incurred no direct costs in relation to the ombudsman's investigation of Constable Purcell. Independent counsel fees incurred by the DPP, and the Police Ombudsman's investigation costs amounted to £5,673. The case was dismissed at Belfast magistrates' court.

Ulster-Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure provided the year 2000 accounts of the Ulster-Scots Agency to any other organisation before laying the accounts before Parliament; if so, which organisation; and why.

Baroness Amos: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure received the certificated 2000 accounts of the North/South Language Body from the two Comptrollers and Auditors General on 18 November 2004. They have not been passed to any other organisation by the department in advance of their being laid before Parliament.

Ulster-Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there are any restraints on the promotion of the Ulster-Scots language by the Ulster-Scots Agency through expenditure in the United States.

Baroness Amos: All expenditure by the Ulster-Scots Agency, wherever incurred, must be for the purpose of promotion of greater awareness and use of Ullans and of Ulster-Scots cultural issues, both within Northern Ireland and throughout the island.

Northern Ireland: Orangefield High School

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to ensure that there is a full and fair investigation by the Belfast Education and Library Board into allegations of racial victimisation, harassment, abuse and physical assault perpetuated upon Paul Kalla, a teacher at Orangefield High School.

Baroness Amos: The Department of Education has been in regular contact with the Belfast Education and Library Board and is content that it is carrying out a full investigation into this matter.

Northern Ireland Civil Service: Sick Leave

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the level of sick leave taken by civil servants in Northern Ireland is satisfactory; and, if not, what steps they are taking to reduce the level of sick leave.

Baroness Amos: Ministers consider that the level of sick leave taken by civil servants in Northern Ireland is not satisfactory; I intend publishing the latest report on sickness absence in the 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Administration early in the new year. A comprehensive range of measures are already in place to tackle this problem and work to strengthen these is ongoing.

Northern Ireland Housing Executive: Intimidation Grants

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What financial support they will provide to Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants who have been intimidated out of their homes; and how much they have been paid in such support for each of the last three years.

Baroness Amos: An intimidation grant of £692 is payable in respect of a tenant who moves across and within the social and private rented sectors.
	The information in respect of Housing Executive tenants is not readily available; however the total amount of grant paid is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Amount £ 
			 2001–02 39,142 
			 2002–03 42,116 
			 2003–04 105,509 
			 April 2004–September 2004 55,310 
			 Total 242,077

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the percentage of vulnerable persons accessible to non-governmental agencies and aid workers in Darfur, Sudan, has declined in the past four weeks; what number of people are now estimated to have been affected by the conflict in Darfur; and what are the estimated numbers of fatalities and displaced people.

Baroness Amos: Insecurity in Darfur continues to hinder access for delivery of humanitarian assistance. In the last four weeks the recent attacks such as those on Tawilah town on 22 November in north Darfur, and the killing on a road north of Nyala on 12 December of two Save the Children (UK) staff in south Darfur, have prompted withdrawals of some international staff from certain areas. This impacts severely on numbers of people in need who can be reached. In the month of November, the World Food Programme delivered food to 1.3 million people in Darfur, which was an increase on the 1.16 million people reached in October.
	It is very difficult to establish a figure of the number of fatalities in Darfur. The UK supports the World Health Organisation to monitor the health and nutritional status of the affected population in Darfur, including morbidity and mortality surveys. The most recent survey was carried out in September. It suggested that between 6,000 and 10,000 people are dying each month in Darfur. This assessment will be updated shortly. The UK deplores on-going attacks by both rebels and Arab militia, such as the recent attack on Adwa on 1 December resulting in 150 killed. To date the UN estimates that there are 1.6 million internally displaced in Darfur, with a further 200,000 displaced as refugees in Chad.

Economic Partnership Agreements

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the European Union on its demand for reciprocal trade arrangements under the new economic partnership agreements with the poorest developing countries.

Baroness Amos: Both the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the EU signed the Cotonou agreement, which lays the foundations for the negotiation of economic partnership agreements (EPAs). These foundations include the progressive removal of barriers to trade between the parties; making EPAs reciprocal trade agreements. Reciprocity is also required under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules for regional trading agreements.
	However, EPAs will not be traditional regional trade agreements. Although they are reciprocal, the WTO rules governing regional trading agreements allow flexibility for developing countries. Compared to the EU, the ACP countries will have less stringent market opening commitments, and a longer period of time in which to implement them. This will allow the ACP economies time fully to prepare for the impact of trade liberalisation on their economies. Additional instruments in EPAs, such as safeguard mechanisms, will help protect ACP countries from any potential adverse effects of trade liberalisation.
	The European Commission has also stated that it has no offensive interests in the EPA negotiations. The 2004 government White Paper on trade and investment makes a commitment to hold our EU partners to this: to ensure that the developmental needs of the ACP are at the forefront of the EPA negotiations.

Least Developed Countries

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What forms of assistance they will recommend for the least developed countries during the transitional period between the generalised system of preferences and the new economic partnership agreements; and whether this assistance will come out of the European Union aid budget.

Baroness Amos: Economic partnership agreements (EPAs) are intended to support African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries' integration into the global economy in a more sustainable way than by continuing dependence on eroding trade preferences. The need to change the existing EU-ACP trading relationship arose because the existing non-reciprocal Lomé preferences failed to boost standards of living in the ACP countries. These preferences also do not conform to global trading rules, as established by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which threatened their future viability.
	Under the the EU's generalised system of preferences (GSP), the least developed countries (LDC) in the ACP group have access to the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative, which grants them duty-and quota-free access to the EU market. This option will remain open to LDCs. However, most ACP-LDCs continue to use Cotonou preferences rather than EBA.
	EPAs are intended to go beyond traditional regional trade agreements to be genuine tools for trade and development. This means that assistance in areas such as building supply-side capacity and facilitating trade will be a core element of EPAs, and vital to their success. During the transition period between Cotonou preferences and an EPA, all ACP countries will receive assistance to help their economies adjust to and take advantage of a more liberal trade agreement with the EU. This assistance will come in the form of development aid and technical assistance, from the EU budget and from individual member states. Efforts will be made to ensure this assistance is co-ordinated and consistent with the national development priorities of the recipient countries.

Fuel-related Fraud

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Following the statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that he proposed to increase the rate of duty on "red diesel" by one pence a litre because of the prevalence of fraud amongst its users, what evidence they have of diesel fuel-related fraud among rail freight operators.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The UK oils strategy was launched in September 2002 to address the misuse of duty-privileged fuels such as red diesel and kerosene in the road fuel sector. Narrowing the differential between the duty rate for road fuel and that for red diesel reduces the incentive for misuse and eats into the profits that can be made by the organised criminal gangs behind the large-scale supply of the illicit market.
	Of more concern is the security of rebated fuel storage at these operators' sites. With red diesel and kerosene now being harder for fraudsters to source, due to the Registered Dealers in Controlled Oils (RDCO) scheme, they are increasingly turning to theft of product. Through discussions with traders we are trying to increase their awareness of this risk.

Smuggling of Products of Animal Origin

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 16 November (WA 149) regarding the four people convicted of smuggling products of animal origin since April 2003, what were the quantities of illegal meats smuggled; and what were the sentences given in each case; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 16 November (WA 149), how many people have been prosecuted for, but not convicted of, smuggling products of animal origin since April 2003.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The quantities and sentences relating to the four people convicted of smuggling offences under the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (England) Regulations 2003 and the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (England) Regulations 2004 are detailed below.
	
		
			  Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4 
			 Quantity seized Meat: 100 kg 
			 Dairy products: 12.3 kg Fish: 78.5 kg 
			 Meat: 6 kg Meat: 58 kg 
			 Dairy products: 22 kg Fish: 73 kg  
			 Sentence £300 fine—£145 costs £150 fine—£145 costs £200 fine—£70 costs £200 fine—£65 
			 costs 
		
	
	There have been no prosecutions to date.

Higher Rate Tax Band

Lord Steinberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the proposals contained in the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report will result in more people paying tax at the top rate band; and, if so, how many.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Estimates of the number of higher rate tax payers for 2005–06 depend on the level of the basic rate limit. This will be announced in the usual manner in Budget 2005.

Olympic Games 2012: London Bid

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the elements of the transport statement in the London Olympic bid 2012 which combine to represent "one of the largest transport investment programmes in the world", as described in the statement.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The London 2012 candidature file, submitted to the International Olympic Committee on 15 November, sets out London's plans for the 2012 Olympic Games. Table 14.1 of that document sets out the main elements of transport infrastructure which support the bid.
	Most of this infrastructure is already built, under construction or planned regardless of the Olympics. The main elements of the planned investment programme are the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link between St Pancras and Stratford, which will open in 2007; and the London Underground PPP will see more than £1 billion a year invested in maintenance and modernisation of the Tube until at least 2010.
	In addition, following the summer spending review, the Mayor has said that he will take forward schemes including the East London Line Extension, the DLR extension to Woolwich and a 50 per cent capacity improvement on other sections of the DLR; and East London and Greenwich transit schemes.

Activity Co-ordination Team

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made on the cross-government Activity Co-ordination Team; when it was established, what its costs are to date; and what it has achieved.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Activity Co-ordination Team (ACT) was established in July 2003 to co-ordinate government action on measures to increase participation levels in sport and physical activity. It has made significant progress.
	Cross-government physical activity measures agreed via ACT formed a specific element of the public health consultation in the summer and were contained in a separate Choosing Health? Choosing Activity consultation document. Responses to that and the wider consultation enabled ACT to inform the new physical activity commitments set out in Choosing Health Making Healthier Choices Easier published last month, including the commitment to publish a physical activity plan.
	ACT is not a funding body and its incidental secretarial and meeting costs are met from within the departmental running costs of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health and are not identified separately.

Sport England: Consultancy

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the budget for Sport England's consultancy service to advise government departments and agencies on how to promote active lifestyles and provide activity opportunities for employees.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government announced in Choosing Health our intention to publish a delivery plan for the White Paper in the new year.
	We are currently working on the detail of the delivery plan including implementation by Sport England of its consultancy to advise government departments.
	More details will be announced in due course.

Everyday Sport Campaign

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 7 July (WA 96), why the Everyday Sport Campaign is targeting the intention to increase participation levels rather than actual participation levels.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: International physical activity and sports campaign experience strongly indicates that measurement of campaign effectiveness encompasses two critical stages: the first is intention to increase physical activity levels and the second, after a sustained campaign has been running for many years, is increase in physical activity levels.
	Given that the Everyday Sport campaign was a pilot over a limited time period, with £250,000 ear-marked this financial year, Sport England's research approach encompassed international best practice to focus its initial evaluation on levels of awareness raising and intention to increase physical activity levels.

Youth Sport Trust

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Youth Sport Trust has received any funding to help implement UK Sport's Start Clean programme.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Youth Sport Trust has received no funding to help implement UK Sport's Start Clean programme.

Public Libraries

Lord Harrison: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In light of their public libraries announcement, how many public libraries are currently fulfilling the Government standard of: (a) annually purchasing 216 new items per 1,000 of population; and (b) replacing outward stock after no more than 6.7 years on display.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested in the first part of the Question is not available in that form.
	Public Library Standard 17 measures how many of the 149 English library authorities purchase at least 261 items per 1,000 population each year. The table below shows this information for the past four years.
	Due to reporting exemptions only 139 of 149 library authorities submitted a report in 2002 and 2003.
	
		Number of library authorities passing Public Library Standard 17—216 annual items added through purchase per thousand population
		
			 Type of Authority 2001 2002 2003 2004 
			 Inner London 77% 80% 80% 77% 
			 Outer London 55% 72% 67% 70% 
			 Metropolitan 28% 35% 44% 56% 
			 Unitary 28% 39% 48% 54% 
			 County 29% 35% 42% 65% 
			 Overall 36% 45% 50% 61% 
		
	
	The information requested in the second part of the Question is not available in that form.
	Public Library Standard 18 measures how many of the 149 English library authorities replenish their book stock within the designated timeframe of 6.7 years. The table below shows this information for the past four years.
	Due to reporting exemptions only 139 of 149 library authorities submitted a report in 2002 and 2003.
	
		Number of library authorities passing Public Library Standard 18—Time taken to replenish lending stock
		
			 Type of Authority 2001 2002 2003 2004 
			 Inner London 31% 30% 60% 54% 
			 Outer London 25% 28% 28% 40% 
			 Metropolitan 8% 18% 35% 47% 
			 Unitary 24% 41% 48% 61% 
			 County 32% 29% 45% 65% 
			 Overall 23% 30% 42% 55%

Freedom of Information: Defence Forward Plans

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have decided the extent to which, from 1 January 2005, forward defence equipment plans will be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and thus available for informed public discussion.

Lord Bach: We will conclude our examination of options for disclosing additional information about defence forward plans shortly.

Ministry of Defence Employment

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the expected average number of whole-time equivalent service and civilian persons employed by the Ministry of Defence in 2004–05.

Lord Bach: The Ministry of Defence has not produced civilian manpower forecasts since introducing the new definition of civilian manpower at the end of July 2004. Forecasts against the previous definition were included on table five of The Government's Expenditure Plans 2004–2005—2005–2006, copies of which are in the Library of the House. As a result of the ongoing work to restructure the civilian workforce, firm forecasts of manpower numbers are not yet finalised but are being calculated as part of the department's normal annual planning process.
	The average number of full-time equivalent (whole-time equivalent) civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence between 1 April 2004 and 1 October 2004 was 108,910. Figures include all industrial, non-industrial, trading fund and locally engaged personnel.

Defence Management Board

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each of the years 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04, how many people were members of the Defence Management Board; and what was the cost of their salaries, pension entitlements and taxable benefits-in-kind; and
	How many people are currently members of the Defence Management Board; and what is expected to be the cost of their salaries, pension entitlements and taxable benefits-in-kind in the year 2004–05.

Lord Bach: The composition of the Defence Management Board (DMB) for 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 is set out in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Performance Report for each of those years, and the information requested on salaries, pension entitlements and taxable benefits in kind is set out in the Notes to the MoD's Departmental Resource Accounts, combined since 2002–03 with the performance report as the MoD Annual Report and Accounts. Copies are available in the Library of the House (Cm5661, HC47, HC1125 and HC1080) and in electronic form on the MoD's website at www.mod.uk.
	In summary, in 2001–02 the Defence Management Board comprised 10 executive members. Two non-executive members were appointed on 29 May 2002 and 10 July 2002, and the MoD's finance director was formally appointed to the DMB from 24 June 2004. The information requested for 2004–05 will be set out in the normal way next year in the MoD Annual Report and Accounts. It is not expected to differ significantly from that for 2003–04 other than to reflect the appointment of the MoD finance director to the DMB in June 2004.

Ministry of Defence: Capital Charge

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	By how much the Ministry of Defence plans to reduce its annual cost of capital charge in 2004–05 and in each of the next three financial years.

Lord Bach: The cost of capital charge in the Ministry of Defence's accounts reflects the size of the department's asset base which is dominated by fighting equipment and intangible assets related to the acquisition of fighting equipment. The Future Capabilities White Paper published on 21 July set out our plans for our future force structures, including both reductions in the numbers of some equipments and enhancements in some capabilities, which are driven by our security requirements in a changing world. Future cost of capital charges will be substantially determined by the impact of these changes. We expect however that the cost of capital charge associated with other areas on our asset base will reduce over the next few years as a consequence, for example, of the rationalisation of the defence estate under the MoD's efficiency programme.

Gulf War Syndrome

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they accept the recommendations of the recent reports by the committee chaired by the Lord Lloyd of Berwick and by the United States Veterans Department into Gulf War syndrome.

Lord Bach: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans set out our response to the findings of the US Research Advisory Committee in another place on 6 December 2004 (Official Report, Commons, 6/12/04; col. 341W). He set out our views on Lord Lloyd's investigation on 13 December 2004, (Official Report, Commons, 13/12 col. 911–912W).

Sea Wolf Missile

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the anticipated future in-service life of the Sea Wolf missile; and how many of Her Majesty's ships are fitted with this missile.

Lord Bach: There are two variants of the Sea Wolf missile, the conventional launch missile, which is fitted to the four Batch 3 Type 22 Royal Navy frigates, and the vertical launch missile, which is fitted to all 16 Type 23 frigates. Both variants have an in-service life of eight years and it is anticipated that the conventional launch missiles will be taken out of service around 2007 and the vertical launch missiles around 2010. Both will be progressively replaced by a new batch of conventional and vertical launch Sea Wolf missiles (known as "Block 2") which will have a design life of 10 years.

Radioactive Waste and Nuclear Decommissioning: Budget

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much is provided in the budget of the Ministry of Defence for the current financial year for (a) the management of radioactive waste; and (b) nuclear decommissioning; and how much was provided for each of these purposes in each of the three preceding financial years.

Lord Bach: The values of the provisions made by the Ministry of Defence for nuclear decommissioning (including the management of radioactive waste) were as follows:
	At 1 April 2004 £7.819 billion
	At 1 April 2003 £5.530 billion
	At 1 April 2002 £3.888 billion
	At 1 April 2001 £3.575 billion
	Explanations of the provisions may be found in Note 16 to the Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts 2001–02 (HC47), Note 16 to Section 2 of the Annual Report and Accounts 2002–03 (HC 1125), and Note 17 to Section 2 of the Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04 (HC1080).

E-mails: Illegal Use

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking to combat phishing attacks against global financial institutions, which increased 568 per cent between June and the end of October 2004.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The police can take action if it can be proved that a sender of an e-mail has fraudulently obtained information from a subscriber. The sender of such e-mails often also sends unsolicited direct marketing e-mails. The Government implemented the EU directive on electronic communications by introducing the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations in December 2003. The regulations require the sender of an unsolicited direct marketing e-mail to ensure that his identity is clearly stated in the e-mail with a valid e-mail address, which the recipient can use to request that further e-mails are not sent to them.

E-mails: Illegal Use

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many prosecutions for illegal spamming (a) have been brought; or (b) are pending under the terms of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2426).

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: It is not a criminal offence for unsolicited spam e-mails to be sent to individuals and therefore no prosecutions have been brought for illegal spamming.
	Under Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has responsibility for enforcing the regulations, which prevent the sending of unsolicited spam e-mails to individuals. A company or individual that contravenes an enforcement notice commits a criminal offence and, upon successful prosecution, could be subject to a fine of up to £5,000 in a magistrates' court. The ICO makes every effort to resolve breaches at an early stage of the proceedings and there have been no signs of a continuous breach of the regulations by UK based spammers and therefore no formal action has been brought or is pending.

Oil: UK Importation

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect the United Kingdom to become a net importer of oil.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Paragraph 6.13 of the February 2003 Energy White Paper Our energy future—creating a low carbon economy (Cm 5761) noted that it is "likely that the UK will become a net importer of gas on an annual basis by around 2006 and of oil by around 2010". While projections of both supply and demand are inherently uncertain, on the basis of the latest information available to the Department of Trade and Industry it now seems most likely that the United Kingdom will become a net importer of oil on an annual basis in 2009.

Fluoridated Water

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Warner on 7 September (WA 137) and 3 November (WA 38), why they did not reply more fully to Written Questions HL3802, HL4226 and HL4227 (Session 2003–04); and why, in particular, they made no reference to the caution expressed by the authors about the results of the Newcastle study into the bioavailability of artificially and naturally fluoridated water; and whether they will now give the information requested.

Lord Warner: The study found no evidence for any differences between the absorption of fluoride ingested in artificially fluoridated drinking water, and in drinking water in which the fluoride is present naturally, or between the absorption of fluoride from hard and soft waters, at fluoride concentrations close to one part per million.
	The study's findings are consistent with predictions from physical chemistry and existing knowledge on the absorption of fluoride. It provides further evidence that there is no major difference in the absorption of naturally occurring fluoride and that of fluoride from artificially fluoridated drinking water.

Acoustic Neuromas

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 16 November (WA 152) and the Interphone study conclusion that the average size of acoustic neuromas was significantly larger in regular mobile phone users, what advice the Department of Health will give to mobile phone users; and
	How many acoustic neuromas were operated on over the last five years.

Lord Warner: Two relatively small parts of the 13-nation Interphone study of brain tumour and mobile phone use have been published this year: a Danish study in January 2004 and a Swedish study in October 2004, both case-control studies of acoustic neuroma incidence. The results are not entirely consistent but emphasise the need for continued high-quality research. We will await the conclusions of the full study due next year.
	Department of Health advice on mobile phone use is contained in leaflets published following the Stewart report in 2000. In the light of the Stewart recommendations the leaflets suggest that you can choose to minimise your exposure to radio waves by keeping your calls short and considering relative specific absorption rate values when buying a new phone. The leaflets are available on the Department of Health website (www.dh.gov.uk).
	The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that if parents want to avoid their children being subject to any possible risk that might be identified in the future, the way to do so is to exercise their choice not to let their children use mobile phones.
	The department's hospital episode statistics division has recorded the following numbers of operations for acoustic neuromas:
	
		
			 Year No. 
			 1999–2000 504 
			 2000–01 480 
			 2001–02 435 
			 2002–03 439 
			 2003–04 423

Mental Health Act 1983: Section 117

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people in England and Wales currently receive free aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983; and
	What is the average length of time for which patients discharged from compulsory in-patient treatment receive free aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983; and
	What is their estimate of the savings to public funds if patients discharged from compulsory in-patient treatment were entitled to free aftercare for six weeks, as proposed in the draft Mental Health Bill, rather than the current entitlement under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 to free aftercare until such a time as the Health Authority and the local social services authority are satisfied that patients no longer need such services.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health does not routinely collect information on the number of people receiving aftercare upon discharge from compulsion, or the length of time for which they receive it.
	We are commissioning some further work to estimate the aftercare costs that would arise from the proposed arrangements under the draft Mental Health Bill, including the transitional arrangements. This work will also estimate the costs of aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983, so that we can estimate any savings that may be made. It will include an analysis of how many people receive aftercare and what the average length of time for which patients discharged from compulsory in-patient treatment receive free aftercare. The analysis will also look at the likely cost of aftercare under the draft Bill after the period of free "intermediate care" and the effect of means testing, so that accurate comparisons can be made between the costs under the 1983 Act and those under the draft Bill.

Inquiries Bill

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to introduce an amendment to the Inquiries Bill to give effect to the recommendation made by the Lord Chief Justice and the Judges' Council that the appointment of a judge to chair a public inquiry should be made with the agreement of the Lord Chief Justice.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Inquiries Bill contains an obligation to consult the Lord Chief Justice (or appropriate colleague) before the appointment of any serving judge. This consultation naturally carries with it a requirement to take account of any issues that are raised. The Government believe that the Lord Chief Justice (or appropriate colleague) must be consulted before the appointment of a judge but that he should not hold a right of veto. In order to remain truly independent a judge must be free to decide whether to accept an appointment for his or her self.

National Parking Adjudication Service Report

Viscount Astor: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What analysis they have made of the National Parking Adjudication Service report which states that although 20 new councils joined the scheme in 2003 there has been no significant increase in the volume of appeals compared to the previous year.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The National Parking Adjudication Service (NPAS) provides free and informal independent adjudication in relation to decisions by local authorities outside London to impose penalty charges for parking contraventions. If a local authority rejects representations against the imposition of a penalty charge then they are required to inform the recipient of their right to appeal to an independent adjudicator. Whether they choose to do so is a matter for the recipient of the penalty charge.
	Some 8,537 appeals were made to NPAS in the financial year 2002–03 as a result of the issue of 2,156,813 penalty charge notices, an appeal rate of 0.40 per cent. Some 9,205 appeals were made in calendar year 2003 as a result of the issue of 2,447,971 penalty charge notices, an appeal rate of 0.38 per cent. The chief adjudicator in her foreword to the 2003 report suggests that the lower than expected number of appeals may well be due to some councils having become more familiar with the decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) scheme. For example, Manchester generated 1,162 appeals in 2002–03 but only 806 in 2003.
	It is also relevant that the 20 new councils joined the DPE scheme at various points in 2003, half of them from 1 September onwards. While those joining the scheme in the second half of the year will have issued penalty charges any resultant appeals will have taken time to work through the system and some will not have arrived with NPAS until early 2004. In this respect it should be noted that comparing financial year 2002–03 (April 2002 to March 2003) with calendar year 2003 is not an exact like for like comparison.

Railways: Salisbury to Yeovil Line

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	By what date the single track line with passing places on the railway between Salisbury and Yeovil will be modernised to double track.

Lord Davies of Oldham: I understand that there are no plans to double track this line at present.

M1

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many accidents have occurred on the M1 during each of the past 12 months; how many resulting deaths occurred; how many injuries required hospital treatment; and to what extent foreign registered vehicles were involved.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Incidents on the M1 motorway are currently handled by the police forces in whose area they occur. Details of incidents that have been reported to the Highways Agency between November 2003 and July 2004 are shown in the table below.
	The Highways Agency does not have information about the extent to which foreign registered vehicles were involved.
	
		
			 Month Number of accidents Number of hospital/roadside treatments Number of fatalities 
			 November 2003 150 236 0 
			 December 2003 135 201 1 
			 January 2004 96 134 0 
			 February 2004 78 96 0 
			 March 2004 109 148 3 
			 April 2004 110 146 3 
			 May 2004 118 166 4 
			 June 2004 112 154 2 
			 July 2004 99 — 1 
			 Total 1,007 1,281 14

Network Rail

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make information available so that, when Network Rail responds to Questions for Written Answer, the response is included in the Written Answer in the Official Report, as is the practice with questions answered by the Highways Agency.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Network Rail is a private sector company, not a government agency, and the practices for questions answered by government agencies are not applicable.
	Arrangements for answering written Paliamentary Questions on Network Rail were agreed between the Government and the company earlier this year as part of a Cabinet Office review of administrative burdens on the rail industry.
	Network Rail has agreed to provide information for inclusion in replies to written Parliamentary Questions where the information requested is readily available and can be provided within the relevant deadline. Where Questions relate to operational matters and the information is not readily available, replies will explain that the issue is an operational matter for Network Rail and that Network Rail will directly contact the noble Lord concerned. The Government have agreed with Network Rail that it would not be appropriate for copies of letters from a private sector company to be published in the Official Report.

Navigation Aids in Irish Territorial Waters

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the cost in each year since 1918 of maintaining aids to navigation in Irish territorial waters.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The costs in each year since 1965 to 2004 of maintaining aids to navigation in Irish territorial waters are set out below. Records are not available beyond 1965.
	
		
			 Year Million £ sterling 
			 1965–66 0.96 
			 1966–67 0.99 
			 1967–68 1.09 
			 1968–69 11.15 
			 1969–70 1.20 
			 1970–71 11.45 
			 1971–72 1.70 
			 1972–73 1.81 
			 1973–74 2.72 
			 1974–75 13.13 
			 1975–76 4.13 
			 1976–77 3.67 
			 1977–78 14.12 
			 1978–79 4.60 
			 1979–80 5.47 
			 1980–81 6.25 
			 1981–82 7.45 
			 1982–83 6.85 
			 1983–84 7.90 
			 1984–85 8.40 
			 1985–86 9.18 
			 1986–87 10.77 
			 1987–88 10.25 
			 1988–89 10.06 
			 1989–90 10.81 
			 1990–91 11.50 
			 1991–92 11.78 
			 1992–93 12.80 
			 1993–94 12.16 
			 1994–95 11.48 
			 1995–96 11.92 
			 1996–97 11.76 
			 1997–98 10.34 
			 1998–99 10.29 
			 1999–2000 10.15 
			 2000–01 11.00 
			 2001–02 11.03 
			 2002–03 11.79 
			 2003–04 13.30 
		
	
	1 Estimated
	From 1985, the Irish Government have made a contribution to the cost of aids in the Republic of Ireland.